How to Block YouTube on an ASUS Router (2026)

Block YouTube on an ASUS router using AiProtection Parental Controls and URL filtering. Works on ASUS RT, ROG, and ZenWifi models. Free with Trend Micro AiProtection. Updated for 2026.

Last updated 11 April 2026·
Difficulty🔨🔨🔨
Free
Bypass risk🐹🐹🐹🐹🐹

What You'll Need

  • An ASUS router (RT series, ROG Rapture, ZenWifi, or similar)
  • A device connected to your ASUS network
  • About 10–15 minutes

ASUS routers offer two parental control systems:

  1. AiProtection (powered by Trend Micro) — network-level content filtering, free on most ASUS routers
  2. Parental Controls — per-device time and URL scheduling

Both are covered below. AiProtection is the stronger tool.

Part 1: Access the ASUS Router Admin Panel

Open a browser and go to router.asus.com

On a device connected to your ASUS network, open a browser and type router.asus.com in the address bar. Alternatively, try 192.168.1.1 or 10.0.0.1.

Log in

Default credentials:

  • Username: admin
  • Password: admin

If you've set a custom password during setup and forgotten it, you'll need to factory reset (hold the Reset button for 10 seconds).

Part 2: Enable AiProtection and Block YouTube

AiProtection provides network-level blocking — it applies to every device on your network without needing to configure each one individually.

Go to AiProtection in the sidebar

In the left sidebar of the ASUS admin panel, click AiProtection (or AiProtection Pro on newer models).

Enable AiProtection

On the AiProtection main page, toggle Network Protection to On. The router may take a moment to activate the Trend Micro engine. Accept the Trend Micro licence if prompted.

Go to Parental Controls within AiProtection

Click Parental Controls (within the AiProtection section — not the separate Parental Controls menu). Then click Web & Apps Filters or Content Filter.

Create a profile for your child's device

Click + or Add Client. Select your child's device from the connected device list.

Set the content category to block video streaming

Under the filter profile, you'll see content categories. Find Video & Streaming or Online Video — toggle it to Blocked. This blocks YouTube and other streaming platforms at the category level.

If you want to block only YouTube (not all video): look for a Custom or URL Block option and enter:

  • youtube.com
  • youtu.be
  • googlevideo.com

Save the profile

Click Apply or OK. The filter is now active for the selected device.

Part 3: ASUS Parental Controls — Time Scheduling

ASUS Parental Controls (the separate section from AiProtection) focuses on scheduling internet access windows per device, not URL filtering. Use it to set hours when internet is allowed.

Go to Parental Controls (main menu)

In the main left sidebar: Parental Controls (listed separately from AiProtection).

Add a device to the parental controls list

Click + → select your child's device or enter their MAC address.

Set allowed time slots

A weekly calendar grid appears. Click time slots to mark them as allowed (blue) or blocked (grey). Blocked time means no internet access at all. This is useful for enforcing bedtimes or homework hours.

Save

Click Apply. This runs alongside the AiProtection URL filter — both can be active simultaneously.

Part 4: DNS Filtering (Router-Wide)

DNS filtering blocks YouTube for every device on the network — no per-device configuration needed.

Go to WAN settings

WAN → Internet Connection (or WAN → DNS Setting if shown as a separate tab).

Set DNS to Manual

In the WAN DNS Setting section, switch from Automatically connect to DNS server to Manual DNS.

Enter:

  • DNS Server 1: 185.228.168.168 (CleanBrowsing Family)
  • DNS Server 2: 185.228.169.168

Also update DHCP DNS settings

Go to LAN → DHCP Server → set DNS Server 1 and DNS Server 2 to the same CleanBrowsing addresses. This ensures all devices that get their IP from your router also receive the filtered DNS server addresses.

Apply and reboot

Click Apply. Go to Administration → Reboot to restart the router.

Part 5: ASUS Router Web-Based Admin Lock

Prevent your child from accessing the admin panel and disabling your rules.

Change the admin password

Administration → System → Router Login Name / Password. Change the password from admin to a strong, unique password. Save.

Disable access from the Wi-Fi network (optional)

Some ASUS models let you restrict admin panel access to wired Ethernet connections only: Administration → System → Allow Web Access from WAN → Off. This doesn't restrict LAN access, but combined with a strong password it makes the admin panel harder to reach from a wireless device.

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How Kids Bypass This

AiProtection requires an active internet connection to update its database: The Trend Micro database behind AiProtection is cloud-based. If the router loses internet connectivity, AiProtection may fall back to a cached list or temporarily stop filtering. DNS filtering is purely local and continues working even if ASUS's cloud service has an outage.

Mobile data bypass: Router filtering doesn't affect mobile data. Use Screen Time (iPhone) or Family Link (Android) for device-level coverage when your child leaves home.

AiProtection profile is per-device: If your child connects with a new device (a friend's phone, a new tablet), it won't have a filter profile. Router-wide DNS filtering catches unconfigured devices.

Default admin/admin credentials: If you haven't changed the router admin password, anyone who knows the default (widely documented online) can log in and disable filtering. Change it immediately.

ASUS ZenWifi and AiMesh nodes: If you have a mesh system with multiple nodes, AiProtection settings configured on the main router node typically propagate to all nodes. Verify this in your specific model's documentation.

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Counter-Measures

AiProtection + DNS filtering = two strong, independent layers: AiProtection catches known streaming sites via categorization. DNS filtering blocks YouTube at the DNS resolution level. A child would need to bypass both simultaneously.

Pair with device-level controls: Router blocking covers home Wi-Fi only. Add Screen Time (iOS) or Family Link (Android) to cover mobile data, school networks, and friends' houses.

Review AiProtection logs: AiProtection keeps a log of blocked requests. AiProtection → Security Level → scroll to the activity log. Check it occasionally to see if your child is attempting to reach YouTube or other blocked domains.

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